Safety pocket



M. R LAYMAN SAFETY POCKET Filed June 28 1926 w. /ZI w lllllllllll lllll Mai-ch 1, 1927.

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

u rrEo STATES waitearsn'r QFFICE.

SAFETY POCKET.

Application filed June 28, 1928. Serial No. 119,131.

1 designates a plate of some stiff mate-' rial such as metal, a bail like wire or clamp 2 being hingedly connected therewith in any suitable manner, the simplest and preferred form of such connection being made by forming a rib 3 in the plate 1 and forming perforations 4: in such rib to permit the bail 2 to be passed therethrough. The upper part of the bail like clamping wire lies against the side of the plate 1 on which is the convex portion of the rib 8, and the lower part of said clamp which makes the hinged connection with the plate 1 lies within the concave part of the groove on the other side of said plate. I generally prefer to incorporate in my device a means to hold the bail 2 normally against the upper part of the plate 1, and for this purpose I prefer to wind a spring 5 about the part of the clamp wire lying within the groove 3, the ends thereof being suitably attached to the clamp wire 2 and to the plate 1. A. pocket 6 preferably of cloth, although this may be of other material, is suitably attached along one edge thereof 7 to the lower edge of the plate 1 below thehinged joint, and for this purpose I prefer suitable perforations 8 to accommodate stitching. The side of the pocket opposite that attached to the plate 1 is higher than said first mentioned side and is suitable attached along that part of the clamp 2 which lies above the openings 4, this higher side being suitably shaped for this purpose.

The pocket 6 is thus normally closed by the jaws constituted on the one hand by the plate 1 and on the other hand by the higher side of the pocket which is attached to the clamp 2, which asastated is normally held closed to the plate 1. This whole device is adapted to-be inserted within an ordinary wearing apparel pocket and thus constitutes a normally closed pocket within a pocket. I provide a holding portion 9 in the form of a plate like clip adapted to hold the outer goods of the wearing apparel pocket fast between itself and the plate 1, whereby the device as a whole does 1 and 9, as a result of which the plate 9 I is normally held against the plate 1 or against anyobject interposed in bet-ween. The plate 9 may be provided if desired with suitable hemispherical-like projections 12 in order that the device may be held more securely to the goods of the pocket of the wearing apparel.

This safety pocketis inserted within the pocket of the wearing apparel, and the safety pocket may be opened for the insertion or removal of papers or other objects by pressing the clamp 2 away from the plate 1, which will open the safety pocket jaws which are normally closed. The contents of this pocket are thus prevented from falling out accidentally or from being stolen. This device has the added advantage that it will securely hold in place objects which are too long or too high to be wholly placed within the safety pocket. Such objects will project through and above the safety pocket jaws but will be securely clamped thereby, and for this purpose I may provide a non-smooth contact part on the upper part of the plate 9.

It is generally preferred to have the two jaws constituted, by the plate 1 on the one hand, and by the bail like device 2 and the goods attached thereto on the other hand, of about equal height, so that one jaw will not project beyond the other; and for the purpose of easy manipulation I may pr0- vide a lug 13 on the bail like device, whereby this may be swung open while still within the apparel pocket. It is to be understood, however, that for certain special purposes either jaw may stand higher than the other, and it is within the scope of my invention to make the vertical sides of the bail like member 2 adjustable as to length in any well known manner.

While I have described a preferred form of my invention, nevertheless other changes than those above referred to may be made therein and still fall within the scope thereof as set'forth in the appended claims.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A safety pocket comprising a plate, a clamping device hinged to the lower part of said plate, means to normally hold said clamping device against said plate, a pocket, means to attach one edge of said pocket to said plate, means to attach the other edge of said pocket to said clamping device, and means to securely hold said safety pocket within a wearing apparel pocket, said last named means being hingedly connected to the upper edge of said plate.

2. A safety pocket comprising a plate, a clam ing device hinged to the lower part of said plate, means to normally hold said clamping device against said plate, a pocket, means to attach one edge of said pocket to said plate, means to attach the other edge of said pocket to said clamping device, and a second plate hingedly connected with said first mentioned plate on the side thereof opposite said clamping device to secnre said safety pocket within a wearing apparel pocket.

3. A safety pocket comprising a plate, a clamping device comprising a wire frame of less area than said plate and hingedly connected thereto at the lower part thereof, means to normally hold said clamping. device against said *plate; a pocket, means to attach one side of said pocket to the lower part of said plate, means to attach the other side of said pocket to said wire frame, said second mentioned pocket side being higher than said first mentioned pocket side, and nileans to seenrely and reinevably held said safety pocket within a wearing apparel pocket.

MILTON R. LAYMAN. 

